What does the passage of the Farm Bill Mean To You?

This is a historical and exciting time for Hemp. 

After the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill on December 20, 2018 (in particular the Hemp provision), we decided to reach out to some of the people that have supported this movement whether they be a brand, a loyal hemp supporter, trade organization… to see what this means to them.

“We are now ushering in a new era.  An era of new jobs, reliable access to Hemp derived plant medicine, and the dawning of new potentially life-changing uses for this incredible plant.  A plant that can feed you, house you, clothe you and heal you.  We are excited for what is to come, we are still learning about all of the benefits of this plant, the passage of the Farm Bill will now open it up to new and extensive research that is sorely needed, and who knows what we will find!  This is truly an exciting time for the Hemp plant.”

-Megan Villa, Creative/Content Director/Co-Founder, Svn Space

“As the trade association, we’re enthusiastic about the positive impact this shall have on our membership. Our group of farmers and business members have been carefully mitigating risks over the past four years, and will finally be free to proceed without having the legitimacy of their work questioned. We’re also preparing to welcome many new members from ancillary businesses and services who seek to work with the hemp industries. Hemp is happening!”  

-Colleen Keahey Lanier, Executive Director, Hemp Industries Association (HIA)

“It’s hard to overstate the importance of the Farm Bill’s passage for the U.S. hemp industry. It’s basically the starter’s gun. Hemp is removed from the purview of the Justice Department entirely, and is once again considered the agricultural crop it is. As well, farmers will be able to get crop insurance. We can expect to see a tenfold increase in the industry’s already rapid growth, and it’ll be a billion-dollar crop in the U.S. in the next five years.”

-Doug Fine, Hemp farmer, Farm-to-Table product producer, and author of the book Hemp Bound

“Legalizing industrial hemp is a monumental, symbolic act that benefits everyone and everything on this planet. Hemp is a multi-billion-dollar crop with over 25,000 uses that can help us mitigate climate change by absorbing excess carbon dioxide. Today we benefit from our ancestors that got us to this moment and are thankful for their knowledge and wisdom. Let's continue to build on this knowledge for the betterment of humanity. Legalizing and growing industrial hemp does exactly that.

-Robert Jungmann, Founder of Jungmaven

“Hemp: The Field of Change. Hemp is one of the oldest industries on our planet. With the Farm Bill passing it feels like we’re on the precipice of a revolution. What a gift our generation will be able to now give back to the earth because of Hemp. This one magic plant can build a work force, strong communal ties and a robust economy while giving back to the land. These are all platforms our politicians speak of and this plant is a valuable resource to achieve those goals.”

-Ally Ferguson, Founder, Seeker

“The world is changing, and the era of HEMP prohibition is finally over.  This 2018 Farm Bill passage unleashes the tremendous possibilities for hemp to dramatically shifts the markets of industrial product development and American farming, but most importantly consumer's health and how we care for our bodies.”

-Christopher Gavigan, CEO/Co-Founder, Prima.  Co-Founder, The Honest Company

 “The passage of the Farm Bill lifts the veil on the most powerful, versatile and misunderstood plant on the planet. Finally, hemp is separated from psychoactive cannabis so we can see the plant for what it is: a universal wellness tool that has the potential to revolutionize almost every American industry. For cultivators, researchers, consumers and brands, this shift validates and supports our overwhelming belief in hemp as a balancing agent for our bodies and world.”

-Jessica Assaf, Chief Education Officer, Prima.  Founder, Cannabis Feminist

“For us it means "relief".  this plant is so amazing, diverse and sustainable - from textiles to "concrete" to wellness and beauty- it's a hero plant.”

-Jewel Zimmer, Founder, Juna

“Signing the Farm Bill is a life altering moment where my father who suffers from Parkinson's Disease. It means he can speak openly to his Doctor, his Neurologists and not feel judged, ignored and turned down. To be told that there is no clinical evidence or research to support Medical Marijuana or CBD and to only be led down a path of pharmaceutical drugs with debilitating side effects.

As there is no cure for Parkinson's (yet), funding would fuel much needed clinical research to integrate Hemp as part of a natural path with the hopes of regaining balance in our systems including conventional drugs. What this historical moment means to me (and many) is to change and ignite our views on health and wellness for Humankind and our Mother Earth in crisis.

In the meantime, on this game-changing cannabis journey we're on, we love seeing my dad smile, laugh and regain some of his life back.”

-Grace Saari, Marketing/Product Development Director/Co-Founder, Svn Space

“As a chef, I see the passing of the Farm Bill is an important step in creating a more sustainable planet. It cannot be overstated, hemp is truly the only product in the world that can feed, house, clothe and heal you. I would love to see farmers in the Midwest United States and worldwide replace their corn crop with hemp. Corn has been transformed from a farm crop used to nourish and feed humans to a unrecognizable, unhealthy product used as sub-par feed for cattle and pigs. Worse yet, it is transformed into high fructose corn syrup supplying soft drink companies with an unhealthy and addictive additive. Replacing this corn crop with hemp means higher yield with less need from crop rotation, healthier soil and less pesticide, and the ability to create more products with less effort. Ask a farmer if that sounds like a good deal... This time is history feels truly special in a long awaited and anticipated revival of an industry so deeply rooted in our history and now, our future, and should be celebrated.”

-Chef Jason Baker, Owner, Flavor Affinity

“We are witnessing a pivotal time in our country’s history. . Hemp was outlawed almost a century ago, which essentially stunted our ability to thrive on a more sustainable level. This is much bigger than just CBD. This is a massive victory for the people, as we will be able to truly begin to explore the many uses of Hemp, including alternative fuel options, clothing, medicine, building materials, food and so on. “

 -Ryan Rankin, Co-Founder, Mary Joe

“The passing of the Farm Bill with the hemp provisions within it has two significant impacts for the industry and companies like us at CV Sciences. First, it defines hemp extracts like PlusCBD Oil™ as federally legal products which clears up so much confusion around this category from a federal standpoint. This will certainly help at the state and local levels as they will look to Congress for guidance when developing and refining legislation for their respective jurisdictions. The Farm Bill passage will also commercialize the domestic production and processing of hemp which will help us start to truly develop a proper supply chain here in the US in order to achieve the scale a company with our level of distribution requires.  This will be a huge opportunity for consumer products brands in the industry, as well as help many farmers throughout the country as hemp becomes a commodity. We are truly excited about what the hemp provisions will do for the industry --- it will create significant retail expansion and availability for hemp CBD products to consumers.” 

-Sarah Syed, Director of Marketing, CV Sciences

“The era of hemp prohibition is over. It is an historic moment for the industry and will be a turning point for American farmers, small businesses and consumers.”

-Jonathan Miller, General Counsel to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, Member in Charge of Frost Brown Todd in Lexington

“It’s very meaningful. It means I can finally tell my Catholic, Mexican parents that my business is legit. It was very difficult being a professional, well-educated, single, divorced mother of two, from a traditional Mexican family that I’m in the weed business. Guess what? This year I finally told them. Why? I fight hard every single day talking to vendors, customers, retailers, neighbors about why they should give their dog CBD, give their grandma CBD, give their boss CBD…I didn’t want to fight to convince a generation of people whom I respect that they’re wrong. Cannabis is not bad. It’s very good. It has many healing properties that we’re still learning about. Now, with our company, we get to educate and celebrate that we are allowed to heal our minds and bodies with a natural plant based solution.”

-Lilly Cabral, Co-Founder, Calivolve

"What is exciting about the hemp bill is that it appears to remove hemp-derived cannabinoids from the Controlled Substances Act.  Currently, the DEA considers all cannabinoids from cannabis or hemp to be Schedule 1 Drugs--it has been this way for half a century and has severely restricted research on these compounds".

-Jeff Chen M.D./MBA, Founder/Director, UCLA Cannabis Research Initiative

"The legalization of hemp will create new opportunities for our environment, our personal well being, and our economy. This “modern green evolution” has only just begun."

-Monica Campana, Brand Partnerships Director/Co-Founder, Svn Space